PHILADELPHIA — If it wasn’t quite a new culture for the Flyers it was at least something new — a victory.

Behind an outstanding performance by goaltender Steve Mason, the Flyers notched their first win of the season and gave Craig Berube something to remember from his first NHL head coaching experience, a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at Wells Fargo Center.

In a way, it was a game that was an ode to Berube the player...

Effective, but not pretty.

The Flyers were largely outplayed in the game’s first two periods, and only an early Tim Thomas meltdown in the Florida net enabled the Flyers get enough of an early jump to hang on and avoid what would have been a fourth loss to start the season.

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That lead only held up because Mason amped his game from good to great, especially in a second period when he was tested during consecutive Panther power plays. He also had to stop a shorthanded breakaway by Shawn Matthias after Kimmo Timonen turned the puck over to him.

The Flyers returned the favor early in the third with a brilliant kill of a four-minute Panther power play, courtesy of a not-so brilliant moment by Flyer fighter Jay Rosehill, who mugged one Panther behind the net then tried to fight everybody else.

Trying to appear reborn before their new head coach, the Flyers were energetic early, but effective only because Thomas, the 39-year-old goalie trying to come back after skipping a year, couldn’t help but skip all over the crease.

His first dance came when Jake Voracek ripped a shot wide that took a lively bounce off the backboards. Thomas bounced, too, leaving a wide open net for Brayden Schenn to deposit the rebound into 4:49 into the game.

Thomas was again waaaayyy out of position a few minutes later, and Braydon Coburn used the opportunity to drive a long shot into the unprotected net at 7:31 for a 2-0 Flyers lead. It was right after that Thomas left - fast. He went down the tunnel with an apparent injury, and backup Jacob Markstrom would play well in his stead.

After that, it was essentially all Mason (33 saves). He came up with a series of big stops, and was had only with 6 seconds left in the second period. That’s when Brad Boyes scored on a rebound to put a little fear into the game.

But the Flyers appeared settled in the third, gained momentum by killing the double minor penalty, and cruised the rest of the way. They had little worries in the last few minutes because Florida’s Ryan Whitney took an ill-advised penalty late that took the comeback hopes out of the Panthers.